Lura (musician)
Encyclopedia
Lura, born Maria de Lurdes Assunção Pina (born July 31, 1975 in Lisbon
, Portugal
) is a Portuguese
singer and musician, of Cape Verde
an descent. Her compositions are based on traditional Cape-Verdean music
as for example the Morna, Funaná
and Batuque
, and influenced by African
and contemporary Western music.
an parents in 1975. Her father came from Santiago
and her mother from São Nicolau. Initially she wanted to become a dancer or a swimming instructor. She became a singer at the age of seventeen when Juka, an artist from São Tomé and Príncipe
, asked her to sing a duet with him for a music album. The album became a success, and subsequently she participated in productions by artists such as Bonga
, Tito Paris
, Paulo Flores
and Paulino Vieira.
In 1996 she recorded her first album Nha Vida with her own compositions. In 1997 she participated in the AIDS benefit compilation album Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon
produced by the Red Hot Organization
among famous artists such as Caetano Veloso
, Marisa Monte
, Djavan
, Bonga
and Teresa Salgueiro
. Further album productions and concerts all over Europe followed. In 2007 she sang her song Morna in the film Fados by Spanish
film director Carlos Saura
.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) is a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
singer and musician, of Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
an descent. Her compositions are based on traditional Cape-Verdean music
Music of Cape Verde
Cape Verde is known internationally for morna, a form of folk music usually sung in the Cape Verdean Creole, accompanied by clarinet, violin, guitar and cavaquinho. The islands also boast funaná, coladeira, batuque and zouk music.-History:...
as for example the Morna, Funaná
Funana
The Funaná is a music and dance genre from Cape Verde. Funaná is an accordion-based music. It is perhaps the most upbeat form of Cape Verdean music...
and Batuque
Batuque (music)
The batuque is a music and dance genre from Cape Verde.- As a music genre :As a music genre, the batuque is characterized by having an andante tempo, a 6/8 or 3/4 measure and traditionally it is just melodic, i.e., it is just sung, it has no polyphonic accompaniment...
, and influenced by African
Music of Africa
Africa is a vast continent and its regions and nations have distinct musical traditions. The music of North Africa for the most part has a different history from sub-Saharan African music traditions....
and contemporary Western music.
Biography
Lura was born in Portugal to Cape VerdeCape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
an parents in 1975. Her father came from Santiago
Santiago, Cape Verde
Santiago , or Santiagu in Cape Verdean Creole, is the largest island of Cape Verde, its most important agricultural centre and home to half the nation’s population. At the time of Darwin's voyage it was called St. Jago....
and her mother from São Nicolau. Initially she wanted to become a dancer or a swimming instructor. She became a singer at the age of seventeen when Juka, an artist from São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
, asked her to sing a duet with him for a music album. The album became a success, and subsequently she participated in productions by artists such as Bonga
Bonga (musician)
Bonga Kwenda , better known as Bonga, is a folk and semba singer and songwriter from Angola. Bonga was born in 1943 in the province of Bengo, and left Angola at age 23 to become an athlete, becoming the Portuguese record holder for the 400 metres...
, Tito Paris
Tito Paris
Tito Paris, is a singer and musician . He has a long career behind him and is among the most popular musicians from Cape Verde successfully blending the sound of Cape Verdean traditional mornas, coladeiras and funanas with the moderns sounds of Portugal and the rest of the world...
, Paulo Flores
Paulo Flores
Paulo Flores is a musician from Angola.Flores was born in Luanda and spent some of his childhood in Lisbon. His music is mostly written in Portuguese though some is in the Kimbundu language. His music is often political dealing with the hardships of Angolan life, the war, and corruption. His...
and Paulino Vieira.
In 1996 she recorded her first album Nha Vida with her own compositions. In 1997 she participated in the AIDS benefit compilation album Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon
Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon
Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon is the eleventh entry in the Red Hot Benefit Series of compilation albums. The album and related television special were both created by the Red Hot Organization , an international organization whose objective in this project is to raise AIDS awareness in the...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
among famous artists such as Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
, Marisa Monte
Marisa Monte
Marisa de Azevedo Monte is a Brazilian popular singer. As of 2011, she has sold 10 million albums worldwide.- Biography :...
, Djavan
Djavan
Djavan is a Brazilian singer/songwriter, Djavan combines traditional Brazilian rhythms with popular music drawn from the Americas, Europe and Africa. He can arguably be categorized in any of the following musical genres: Música Popular Brasileira , samba, or Latin dance...
, Bonga
Bonga (musician)
Bonga Kwenda , better known as Bonga, is a folk and semba singer and songwriter from Angola. Bonga was born in 1943 in the province of Bengo, and left Angola at age 23 to become an athlete, becoming the Portuguese record holder for the 400 metres...
and Teresa Salgueiro
Teresa Salgueiro
Teresa Salgueiro , OIH is a Portuguese singer. She is best known as the lead singer of Madredeus from 1987 until 2007....
. Further album productions and concerts all over Europe followed. In 2007 she sang her song Morna in the film Fados by Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
film director Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura Atarés is a Spanish film director and photographer.-Early life:Born into a family of artists , he developed his artistic sense in childhood as a photography enthusiast.He obtained his directing diploma in Madrid in 1957 at the Institute of Cinema Research and Studies...
.
Discography
- Nha Vida (1996)
- In Love (2002)
- Di Korpu Ku Alma (2005)
- M'bem di fora (2006)
- Eclipse (2009)
External links
- Official Webpage
- Lura on www.african-music-guide.com Lura's Biography on the African Music Guide
- US Management Website